In the design of an information or knowledge-based system, values are built in to the fundamental assumptions about what information and knowledge actually is. Such values can be understood in an overarching and philosophical sense, as well as in a situated sense within certain communities, organizations, and particular types of users. In fact, such fundamental reflections are an essential first step to ensure that the knowledge-based initiative has a clear trajectory to follow. The design of knowledge organization — not the adaptation and implementation of standard or popular classification systems — is a phase that most people ignore out of convenience for a quick launch of a beta version, or a tight budget that needs to be spent for a clear ROI. The benefits of designing a knowledge organization strategy (which may involve conducting domain analysis, user studies, genre and document mapping) are not concrete, but it is fundamental to the long-term success of any information and knowledge-based undertaking. In fact, the whole process might not be that different from engaging in a philosophical discourse on epistemology, or a reflection about the nature of knowledge, but situated in a real-life context with design implications (whether that’s system design, website design, or library design). In effect, you are developing a model of knowledge (in my case, a model of music knowledge) that is conceptualized to serve a particular community (in my case, online self-taught musicians).

As a case study, Metaweb (recently acquired by Google) is a form of knowledge organization systems, that aggregates existing online content providers around topics of interests. Freebase, their open-source database, organized in the form of an ontology, with a page dedicated to the discussion and development of their Music Schema. Music entities as they describe it could be reviews, concerts, album releases, and there are in-depth discussion on the kinds of ongoing issues that are still opened and unresolved. Music and the performing arts at large already has its own cataloguing and classification challenges and rules within the traditional library setting. In the context of emerging ICTs, the design of online knowledge organization models has a host of new challenges as well as opportunities to capitalize on. (My thoughts on this in the domain of music is summarized here.)

Values are reflected in any kind of design decisions that are made. Forms of technology in the past embodied the values of an era. Think of the materials that ancient manuscripts were produced with, the advent of the industrial age, the invention of the light bulb. The difference today is the speed at which new technologies are being introduced, as well as the phenomenal growth and adaptation that characterize many successful social media enterprises today. With the increasing amount of noise in the shape of new applications and online tools, the ability to qualify and quantify the fundamental nature of the communication and social processes within which a project is situated, distinguishes it from those that are simply imitating the hype of the moment.

As I develop a knowledge organization model that facilitates the discovery of music education content, it becomes clear that it requires a unique conceptualization of community. The needs of a domain-specific community is beyond the scope and capabilities of existing open-source social media tools design for the facilitation of “online communities”. It also becomes clear that the creative process cannot begin with a review of existing tools, but an in-depth analysis and understanding of community processes and user behaviour of the target audience. It doesn’t have to take forever, and it is not implied that this step has to be ‘completed’before you begin to design, but it is certainly the first step in an iterative and reflexive process that combines research methodology, community and user engagement.